George l



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE THOMPSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE GEO. L.

THOMPSON MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

CURLlNG-IRON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 549,280, dated November 5, 1895.

Application filed September 5, 1894. Serial No. 522,183. (No model.)

T0 on whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, GEORGE'L. THOMPSON, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Curling-Irons and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form apart of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in curling-irons of that class embracing two clasps or jaws, one of which consists of a solid mandrel and the other a clasp pivoted thereto and adapted to fit against the convex surface of the mandrel, the jaws being provided with handles and being closed or held together by the action of a spring and opened by the press ure of the hand upon the handles.

The invention consists-in the matters herein described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of a curling-iron embodying my invention in one form. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, taken on a plane at right angles thereto. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the closing spring of the curler. I

As shown in said drawings, A designates a solid jaw or' mandrel made of generally cylindric form. Said mandrel is provided with an integral shank A, having two opposite bends a and a" and terminating at its in ner end a in a short straight portion, which is substantially parallel to the main body of the mandrel.

B designates a clasp or concave j aw adapted to accurately fit against the convex surface of the mandrel A and provided with a shank B, having a bend 1) similar to the bend a of the mandrel, so that the shanks of the mandrel and clasp are outwardly deflected or divergent when the parts are in their normal or closed position. Said clasp B is made from sheet metal, preferably sheet-steel, and is provided at the bend b with two integral lugs or ears I) b, which embrace the mandrel A at the bend a and are pivot-ally secured thereto by a pivot-pin 27 The shank of the clasp is made concave in the same manner as the body thereof and terminates at its outer end or extremity in an eye or loop b which is herein shown as formed by bending over a projecting part of the metal at the end of the shank and providing the bent-over part with a suitable'perforation or aperture.

C C designate two wooden handles, which are secured to theshank's of the mandrel and clasp. To the outer ends of said handles are secured the opposite ends of a'bent metal spring D. Said spring is of U shape and provided with a flat middle portion d and mandrel-like shanks or end portions d d, of cylindrical or approximately cylindrical form. Such spring is preferably constructed from a metal rod by flattening the middle portion of the rod, while leaving the end portions thereof of the same size as the original rod to form the shanks of the spring. Said spring is secured to the handles by having its shanks driven into the sockets in the handles, it being found that by the employment of approximately cylindric or mandrel shaped shanks on the springs the latter may be driven tightly into the handles without liability of splitting the same. The shanks'of the spring stand normally in a divergent position relatively to each other, or with their extremitiesspread apart, so that the spring tends to force apart or outwardly the handles of the implement, which being rigidly secured to the shanks constitute in effect extensions of the arms of r or nearly cylindric, as described, so as to pre vent splitting of the handles in inserting them, are slightly flattened, as ShOWIl, or made of other cross-sectional shape which will prevent them from readily turning in the handles and thereby becoming loosened in the use of the implement.

The wooden handle C is apertured or pro vided with a socket to receive the inner extremity a of the mandrel-shank A, said shank being driven tightly into the handle, so that the two parts are firmly secured together. The handle C is similarly apertured or provided with a socket adapted to receive and tightly engage a short wire rod or pin E, the free end of which passes through and is adapted to slide within the apertured end 12 of the clasp-shank B. pin E is made to conform to the groove of the shank B, and is concealed within the latter when the jaws are in their closed position.

In order to avoid liability of the handle C turning or twisting on the mandrel-shank, I provide the latter on their parts a which enter the handle, with longitudinal ribs or fins a of which any desired number may be employed. As shown, the mandrel is provided with two fins (L3, located at diametrically-opposite points, said fins so located being easily formed by subjecting the shank to the action of opposite concave dies arranged to squeeze the metal outwardly at their meeting edges to form opposite thin V-shaped or angular projections. It is, of course, practicable to provide the shanks with more than two of such projections or fins, but the construction described is preferred by reason of the facility and ease with which they may be formed by means of dies. I prefer to preserve a generally-cylindric form in the mandrel-shank and to make the ribs or fins so small as not to substantially modify the cylindric shape of the shank, in order to avoid liability of splitting the wooden handle in inserting the shank in the circular hole bored therein.

The presence of the fins or ribs a on the mandrel-shank is of especial importance in the curling-iron shown, for the reason that any turning of the handle 0 in the mandrelshank would throw the handle C out of alignment with the clasp-shank B.

The flat spring 1'), arranged as described, tends to separate the inner ends of the handles, so that the outward pressure of the handle C and of the pin E of the handle C upon the shanks of the mandrel and clasp force the latter apart and maintain the jaws normally closed. \Vhen, however, the handles are forced together by the pressure of the hand, the pin E will draw inwardly upon the loop 11 of the clasp-shank, thereby opening the jaws and holding them open until the pressure of the hand is released, when they are again closed by the action of the spring D.

The length of the pin E is made such that its outer extremity e strikes against the shank A of the mandrel, when the jaws are sufficiently opened, and affords a positive stop to their further movement, thus preventing the extremity of the clasp-shank B from striking against the end of the handle 0, which would obviously tend to force said handles away from the jaws and either bend the spring D or pull the handle 0 off the shank of the mandrel. Ferrules c 0, provided on the ends of the handles in the usual manner, afiord a suitable finish for the same and prevent them from splitting.

In the operation of the curling-iron thus described, it will be obvious that the spring 1) affords, in effect, a pivotal connection be- Said inner end of the tween the handles C and G, which maintains their outer ends at a substantially constant distance apart, while permitting at their inner ends a suiiicient oscillatory movement to effect the opening and closing of the jaws. Moreover, owing to the peculiar construction shown, a comparatively slight movement of the inner ends of the handles is suflicient to oscillate the jaws to the necessary extent, so that when the handles are grasped in the hand a very slight opening and closing action of the latter is all that is required to completely open and close the jaws.

A curling-iron constructed as above described has the advantage of being easily handled or manipulated in turning the same and also in opening the jaws in clasping or unclasping the hair. This convenience in manipulating the curling-iron arises both from its symmetrical form and from the fact that the handles are relatively close together, and. a small extent of movement only is required in their forward ends to effect the opening and closing of the jaws. Inasmuch as implements of the kind referred to are turned or rotated in curling the hair on the mandrel by the hand which grasps the handles the placing of the handles near each other greatly facilitates the turning of the iron, because it enables both the said handles to be easily grasped in the partially-closed hand of the person using the implement, while at the same time it enables the fingers to readily grasp the handles for turning the same. Furthermore, the employment of the connections described between the clasp and the adjacent mandrel enables the said clasp to be opened by a small relative movement of the handles and without the use of any great force, so that the clasp may be easily opened by the same hand which grasps the implement. The handles being of wood serve to prevent the heated part of the mandrel or shank from coming into contact with the hand, while the spring D, being attached to the outer ends of the handles, can receive no heat from the mandrel.

I claim as my invention- 1. A curling iron comprising a mandrel and shank consisting of a rod bent to form an outwardly divergent shank, a concave clasp pivoted to the mandrel and provided with a shank which is also outwardly divergent, a wooden handle secured to the mandrel shank, a second wooden handle, a pin. or rod inserted in the inner end of the second wooden handle and engaging an eye in the extremity of the clasp-shank, and a U-shaped spring having a flat central part and shanks at its ends which are inserted in sockets in the ends of the wooden handles, substantially as described.

2. A curling iron comprising a mandrel and shank consisting of a cylindric rod, a concave clasp pivoted to the mandrel and havin an integral shank, said. mandrel shank and IIO clasp shank being outwardly divergent, a

strike the mandrel so as to limit the opening 10 Wooden handle secured to the mandrel shank, of the clasp, substantially as described.

a second Wooden handle, a U-shaped spring the ends of which are inserted and secured in the outer ends of said handles, and a pin or rod inserted in the inner end of the second Wooden handle and engaging an eye in the extremity of the clasp shank, the end of said pin being bent inwardly and so located as to In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I aflix my signature in presence of tWo Witnesses.

GEORGE L. THOMPSON.

Witnesses:

ALBERT H. GRAVES, WM. L. HALL. 

